William DeShazer/Staff
Immokalee takes the field before taking on against Our Lady of Good Counsel at Immokalee High School on Friday Aug. 30, 2013.

Naples Daily News

Corey Perrine/Staff
Owner Teonta Tems wipes her face on scene Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2013 at Nana's Diner in Golden Gate. One of the area's most popular restaurant was destroyed by fire at around 4 a.m.

Naples Daily News

Corey Perrine/Staff
Florida Governor Rick Scott answers questions from the media Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013 at Centennial Park in Fort Myers, Fla. Scott came to talk about water releases from Lake Okeechobee. Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013, Scott was again in Fort Myers, this time speaking at the Workforce Now summit.

Naples Daily News

William DeShazer/Staff
Donna Lynne Brown, 54, middle, is taken away after Judge Margaret Steinbeck revoked Brown's bond during a hearing after a neighbor saw her driving in spite of a suspended license on Monday Aug. 26 2013.

Naples Daily News

Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott . David Albers/ Staff

Nick Batos

Were you out of town last week or too busy to follow all the local news?

Here is a look back at the week that was in Southwest Florida:

Nana's Diner destroyed, arson suspected

Regulars who come to Nana's Diner for biscuits and gravy or mullet and eggs were shocked Tuesday morning to find the popular Golden Gate restaurant ravaged by fire, charred beyond recognition.

Dispatchers received a call about 4 a.m. Tuesday that the restaurant was burning and firefighters spent about 45 minutes controlling the blaze.

But the damage was done and the 125-seat restaurant was deemed "a total loss," according to Golden Gate Assistant Fire Chief Nolan Sapp. The state fire marshal's office is investigating it as arson.

The fire also damaged an attached store and apartment. One apartment resident escaped the building without injury and is receiving support from the American Red Cross.

Nana's owner, Teonta Tems, who took over when her mother retired in 2009, vowed to reopen.

"My biggest thing to (my customers) is just give me a little bit, and I'll get you breakfast as soon as I can, baby doll."

Gov. Rick Scott announced plans for a three-year project to alleviate Southwest Florida's water woes.

Speaking in Fort Myers on Wednesday, Scott said the state plans to commit $90 million to bridge a 2.6-mile segment of U.S. 41 East between Naples and Miami. The state dollars will cover half of the $180 million project, with the U.S. Department of Interior picking up the rest.

The planned bridge will allow more water to flow naturally through the Everglades, keeping nutrient-rich water out of the estuaries. A similar one-mile bridge along the same stretch of U.S. 41 opened in March.

The bridges replace existing roads, which have blocked the flow of water to the southern Everglades from Lake Okeechobee since their construction in 1928. "There's way too much water coming into the St. Lucie River and the Caloosahatchee River, and it's causing problems," Scott said.

A Lee County judge on Monday revoked bond for a woman accused of DUI manslaughter in the May dragging death of a Punta Gorda motorcyclist.

Donna Lynne Brown, 54, was released in May after posting bonds totalling $70,000 on several DUI-related charges. Brown is accused of fatally dragging motorcyclist Carl "Ed" Patrick for nearly 3 miles along U.S. 41 in Estero after striking him with her SUV on May 9.

Her license was suspended July 3, according to court records.

State prosecutors presented testimony and video from Brown's neighbor, Sandi Hubeart, who said she saw Brown driving on multiple occasions.

Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott ruffled some Eagle feathers this week after sending emails to Florida Gulf Coast University President Wilson Bradshaw over the college's decision to bring rap artists Ludacris and Kendrick Lamar to play Eaglepalooza Nov. 24.

Scott said he objects to Ludacris' lyrics, which include mentions of the N-word. He said he is outraged that the university, with a black president, would invite an artist of questionable character at a time when the country is celebrating the golden anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

"I remain confused why an institution of higher learning would invite a group ... that every other word out of their mouth is the N-word, the M-Fer, this ho and that ho, this bitch and that bitch, violence and references to illegal drugs."

The FGCU programming board, a student-operated organization on campus, books the artists for the annual concert. Bradshaw emailed Scott on Monday saying students had the final say about talent for an upcoming event.

"As a university president — black or white — periodically there are expressed views related to students and faculty that the president doesn't personally or professionally sanction or share," he wrote. "I thins case, our students indicated a strong interest in inviting these performers to Eaglepalooza, and our staff assures me they are doing everything possible to ensure a safe and enjoyable event for the attendees."

Scott is also upset the sheriff's office and the county were not consulted before FGCU signed off on the concert.